Liang Xiao, deep in thought about his plan to deal with the Dugu clan, remained outwardly calm.
Jian Qinwan, on the other hand, faltered when she heard the crowd's doubts. Ordinarily, she would have dismissed such suspicion with contempt! However, she seemed to be causing trouble for this notorious philanderer now…
The crowd continued to urge Jian Qinwan to remove her veil. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out her slender hand to do so.
Liang Xiao's hand shot out swiftly, grasping her wrist. "You..." Jian Qinwan looked at Liang Xiao before her, feeling flustered.
Liang Xiao said sternly, "You are not to remove it!"
Jian Qinwan's heart raced, and she turned her head away.
Only then did Liang Xiao relax, turning to give a meaningful look to the Tianshan sword-wielders watching from the distance.
Dugu She scoffed, "Afraid to take it off? Worried you'll be exposed as an impostor?"
Just as the Dugu family members were about to join the mockery, an angry roar came from afar, "Who dares question the identity of our Tianshan Qin Xian!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Chen Shaoling, sword in hand, stride forward with an arrogant air. "I am Chen Shaoling of the Tianshan Sword-wielders. The lady on stage is indeed our junior sister, the Qin Xian of this generation, genuine and not a fake!"
"Chen Shaoling?" a wave of exclamations arose from below.
"He is indeed Chen Shaoling, the Tianshan hero, famous for his word being his bond. I've even sought his help before!" several merchants chimed in.
Duanmu Chao was the first to rise and cup his fists in greeting, "Greetings, Grand Hero Chen! It has been a while."
"Greetings, Master Duanmu! It has been a while," Chen Shaoling responded calmly, returning the gesture.
The crowd in the distance buzzed, young men and women craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the legendary "Tianshan hero Chen Shaoling." With his dignified appearance, mature demeanor, and righteous aura, standing beside the dashing Li Hongshu, they looked like a perfect couple!
As the chief disciple under the Sword Saint, Chen Shaoling's fame did not match that of the Three Saints or the Qin Xian, but he was still a renowned hero among martial artists, and a famed swordsman at that!
It was then that everyone noticed a group of Tianshan heroes standing beside Chen Shaoling, all with dignified bearing and an aura of chivalry!
"Since Grand Hero Chen himself vouches for her, then this lady is indeed the Qin Xian herself, there can be no mistake! Marquis Anguo truly has a great fortune with women!" an antique merchant sighed.
No one doubted Jian Qinwan's identity any further.
Hearing "Marquis Anguo truly has a great fortune with women," Jian Qinwan's hand in her sleeve trembled slightly, her heart filled with unspoken grievances. She was in a predicament now, unable to explain or not explain!
Chen Shaoling said solemnly, "Of course, there is no mistake! However, what I truly wish to say is, are the women of Marquis Anguo someone you can look at as you please!"
As his words fell, countless people bowed their heads in shame.
Jian Qinwan was startled and glared at Chen Shaoling, almost drawing her sword on the spot in her agitation! This senior brother was becoming more and more obnoxious! It wasn't that she truly disliked him, but she found herself increasingly reluctant to clear up the misunderstanding with this detestable philanderer…
"The women of Marquis Anguo?" everyone exclaimed in surprise, their mouths agape as if an egg could fit inside!
Chen Shaoling patted his chest, "Indeed! Our junior sister will, sooner or later, like Miss Luo Qingxue, become the wife of Marquis Anguo. Please speak with respect!"
The entire venue erupted in gasps! Jian Qinwan's face beneath her veil had already turned a shade of red that threatened to bleed, wishing she could drag Chen Shaoling out and quarter him! How outrageous!
The usually elegant Chen Shaoling, in a rare display, rebuked Dugu She, "You are the steward of the Dugu family, are you not? Born into a prominent family, do you lack basic manners? Do you know that a woman adorns herself for one who fancies her? Junior sister's beauty is only for Marquis Anguo to behold as he pleases!"
With that, Chen Shaoling did not forget to turn and wink at Liang Xiao and Jian Qinwan.
Jian Qinwan felt as though she was about to faint! She couldn't understand why her usually upright senior brother could be so shamelessly audacious!
Dugu She's face flushed red, and he could only sit down with a forced smile to explain, "We merely admire the Qin Xian's reputation and do not wish for her to be impersonated…"
The Tianshan heroes were always righteous and had a history of heroic deeds, so they were not afraid of offending a prominent family like the Dugu clan. After all, Tianshan was the fiefdom shared by the Three Saints of Daqian, and ten years ago, the Tianshan heroes had performed heroic acts to defend the country, earning the emperor's respect!
After Chen Shaoling and his companions returned to their seats, the crowd's attention shifted back to Yi Zui Bai Nian, their gazes eager. Two peerless poems!
Liang Xiao surveyed the entire venue and declared loudly, "These thousand jars of Yi Zui Bai Nian will certainly contain the two poems. You can open them on the spot after your purchase to verify!"
"Father..." Duanmu Xiu looked anxiously at Duanmu Chao.
Duanmu Chao's slightly portly body trembled, unable to conceal his emotional excitement. He even considered buying all thousand jars and reselling Yi Zui Bai Nian later; it was the safest approach and might even yield a significant profit! However, from the current situation, Liang Xiao would not sell all thousand jars of Yi Zui Bai Nian to him, as everyone was preparing to bid, even the Dugu clan, with whom Liang Xiao was in open conflict! Furthermore, their ease in purchasing Yi Zui Bai Nian would make it seem as though they were being manipulated by Liang Xiao, which was an insult to merchants. But who would dare to haggle now? It would be utterly ridiculous!
"This young man can manipulate people so expertly…" Zuo Wushang, watching from afar, and several inconspicuous passersby in the crowd, simultaneously exclaimed in astonishment.
If he had merely written these two poems in private and paired them with Yi Zui Bai Nian for sale, the sensational effect might not have been so great. Presenting the poems publicly in a pleasure house, creating an atmosphere, with the Qin Xian, the Princess of Guizi, the mistress of Bai Chun Tower, and the Northern beauty Luo Qingxue all present, had directly propelled the value of these poems to stratospheric heights!
"Why is he willing to be a prince or a general, rather than establish his own sect and become the emperor of Daheng…" The more Zuo Wushang witnessed Liang Xiao's capabilities, the more unwilling he felt!
"Transcendent and extraordinary, a young hero. Qin Wan has good taste," a white-haired woman hidden in the crowd sighed, her companions nodding in agreement. It was indeed the enigmatic figure who had once purchased Liang Xiao's poems and wine, Qin Jiu!
Dugu She and his companions had a hurried discussion before standing up and shouting, "Yi Zui Bai Nian, our Dugu family wants it all!"
"All of it?" Everyone was startled. Duanmu Chao quickly stood up and said, "That won't do! We need at least four hundred jars! If it weren't for giving the Dugu family face, our Duanmu family would also have wanted it all!"
The other wealthy individuals also made their bids. Even Gu Shaoyan and Mu Hong couldn't resist, each requesting twenty jars.
Liang Xiao glanced at Dugu She and Duanmu Chao and declared loudly, "At most four hundred jars to the Dugu family, three hundred jars to the Duanmu family, and the remaining three hundred jars to be distributed among the others!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone promptly produced their silver notes, verifying their authenticity on the spot. After Liang Xiao allocated the quotas, they immediately paid and, with their guards, went on stage to collect the wooden crates.
Mu Hong and Gu Shaoyan watched the thronging crowd and shook their heads in resignation. They were too proud to rush forward and scramble for the wine; these people were too undignified… Amidst gasps of surprise, the thousand jars of Yi Zui Bai Nian were snapped up, with a total transaction value of five hundred thousand taels! Liang Yun's hand, resting on the silver note box, trembled violently.
The buyers, impatient, immediately opened all the wooden crates, hoping to find the crucial lines of the two poems. "No 'Life between heaven and earth, like a fleeting traveler'! Nor 'Clouds desire beauty, flowers desire countenance'!" The Dugu family, with their larger numbers, became anxious first, and Dugu She's face turned ashen! The Yi Zui Bai Nian containing the two most critical lines, only one jar each, were not among the four hundred jars they had opened!
"Damn it!" In his fury, Dugu She glared at Duanmu Chao in the distance.
Ye Qingyi and Zuo Wushang in the distance were both shocked and dismayed! "Two peaches to kill three scholars." The real show had just begun!